Around Town: Winning chef to join second annual Black Foodie Summit

Chef Ja’Nel Witt, Season 11 winner on Hell’s Kitchen, will be at Bistro 46 for the Black Foodie Summit on July 13.

Located at 2501 NE 23rd St. in northeast Oklahoma City, the cooking event will begin at noon and continue until 6 p.m.

Apollo Woods, founder and CEO of OKC Black Eats, has said the second annual Black Foodie Summit will provide social awareness and economic growth for local business owners and community programs. He says the summit also will offer an appeal to a target audience of urban consumers, particularly entrepreneurs between the ages of 27 and 55.

The state’s investment to the arts through the Oklahoma Arts Council is increasing by 4% for fiscal year 2020. Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed the next state budget bill into law, bringing the Oklahoma Arts Council’s state appropriation to $2.9 million.

A new grant program for jazz artist tours has been created. The new grant program will bring live jazz to areas underserved by the genre. The Jazz Road Tours will support tours of three to six sites. Solo and ensembles of up to 10 members are eligible.

Tony Award winner

Our state’s favorite musical, Oklahoma!, received the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. The musical was created by Rodgers & Hammerstein but has been sold to the current owners, who have made some changes in the show.

OKC Broadway already has a contract to bring the new version of the show to Oklahoma City in 2020.

Planning ahead

The 2020 Global Achievement honorees already have been selected by Sister Cities International. The awards will be presented on Feb. 27, 2020, at the Embassy Suites, 741 N. Phillips Ave., Oklahoma City.

Lou Kerr will receive the Global Lifetime Achievement Award. The Global Leadership Award will go to the Oklahoma Blood Institute for the Global Blood Fund. Former Gov. Frank Keating will receive the Global Vision Award and Dr. Stephen Prescott will receive the Global Humanitarian Award.